Always the Best of Friends
by Coogan
Summary: Join four friends for their eventful fifth year at Hogwarts. Sirius learns that there's more to family than just blood. His friends are what truly matter, for they are the ones who grow with him from being friends to being brothers.
1. Chapter 1

**Always the Best of Friends**

**Chapter 1**

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**Author's Note:** I know this fic looks daunting, but give it a chance! This first chapter  
has to explain a lot of things that are going on in Sirius's life and I fear it may cause  
a few people to run away screaming, but I promise not all chapters will be so much  
description so bear with me and it will indeed get better. Thanks and happy reading!

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It wasn't that Sirius Black _tried_ to break the rules of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. He actually tried _not_ to most of the time to save himself from his mother's wrath. But every so often, he did something he shouldn't do and it was only because the rules were sometimes so stupid and ridiculously easy to break. It was for this reason that he woke with an embarrassing start in the drawing room when something slapped his face. Momentarily hating himself, not only for the embarrassing way he awoke, but also for getting caught in his father's expensive lounge chair, which was simply off-limits-completely-and-one-hundred-percent to a blood traitor like himself, Sirius slowly opened one eye and peered around the room. He was more than a little relieved to see his charcoal colored owl perched on his knee rather than his mother. The mental image of his mother sitting on his knee made him want to throw up slightly.

Sirius snatched up the letter resting on his chest, the cause of the offending slap upside his face. Glaring at the owl and wondering if at times the bird wished to see him lying dead, he stood quickly, causing the animal to take flight with a screech of annoyance. "It serves you right," Sirius told the owl matter-of-factly. "I'm going to have a mark from that." To prove his point, he pushed his shaggy black hair off of his forehead and showed the bird the nonexistent mark. The owl, who recovered by fluttering onto the arm of the chair, stared solemnly and wide eyed. Sirius glanced at the letter in his hand- it was from James, of course, they were always from James- and then crossed his arms over his chest, studying the chair with a critical eye for any sign that he had sat there. A quick attempt at smoothing the dented leather and then he was off, the owl perched on his shoulder as he headed for his bedroom upstairs. He purposely slammed the doors behind him, making a bold statement of sorts that he had just done something he shouldn't and that he had even gotten away with it, and his mother's respondent screamed insults float up the stairs, but Sirius ignored all of that. He was used to it, after all, and it was nearly as normal to him as breathing was.

James Potter was Sirius's best friend. James was spoiled, good-looking, talented, smart, sociable, conceited, athletic, a show-off… in essence, James was annoying. But he was also wonderfully loyal, and caring, and even protective of his friends at times. He was even mature and artistically thoughtful, though usually only in private. Mostly, he was simply James with the ridiculous hair and that was all Sirius needed. The two had corresponded the entire summer holiday and they had covered every topic from the month of February to James's catastrophic weekend spent painting his bedroom. Sirius's fingers traveled around the edges of the wrinkled envelope as he thought about James, a lopsided grin spreading across his face.

Sirius was, of course, completely banned from having any sort of contact with the disappointing and traitorous James Potter. His parents viewed every witch and wizard from Muggle descent as being the scum of the earth- nothing more than stains on the perfect wizarding community. Muggles were better off with their own kind and had absolutely no business whatsoever in the wizarding world, that was Sirius's parents' view. And nearly as bad as Muggleborns were the traitors- the pureblooded families who did not support this view, but rather embraced the Muggles and treated them kindly. The Potters were a prime example of a traitorous family and thus, Sirius wasn't supposed to associate with James. The Blacks, after all, had an image to keep- a reputation to uphold.

Sirius shut his bedroom door quietly behind him. He didn't care about the stupid reputation or any of it. His friends were his life now and they had been his life ever since he was sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. While his own family had turned their backs on him and openly mocked him as a disgrace, his friends had accepted him without asking any questions. The "James-Potter-Is-Off-Limits" rule was the one rule of the Black household that Sirius continually broke without a care for the consequences.

Ripping open the letter and sitting down at his desk, Sirius pulled a piece of parchment out and began to unfold and read it. James's tall, thin, and slightly slanted handwriting was splashed hastily across the page just as Sirius had expected it would be. The two, having exhausted the topic of the possibilities for their school's caretaker, Argus Filch, and Madame Pomfrey to get together, had moved on to simply insulting each other. Their playful banter had gone back and forth all day and Sirius knew that his owl, Spud, was just lucky that James didn't live too far away, though he wondered if this may be the reason behind the feeling that Spud would prefer him a corpse. "A gormless troll-faced parasite," Sirius murmured, half amused and half surprised that James had been so predictable. He spared a thoughtful glance at the owl, deciding whether the bird would take another delivery without causing him harm. After a moment of silent thinking and a reassuring check that his wand was in his pocket, he pulled a drawer out and removed a quill and fancy ink bottle.

_Nice try, James. You almost had me with the troll-faced part, but I am sure you will be happy to know that I have recovered enough to inform you of your status as a dim-witted mandrake-sucking flobberworm,_ his quill scratched across the parchment. _Your friend, S.B._

He began to fold the parchment and when Spud noticed this, the bird warily backed away and fluttered to his cage as if making a statement that he would _not_ be going out again tonight.

"Oh, thanks, mate," Sirius said suddenly, as if the owl had reminded him of something, and then he unfolded the letter again. He absently dragged the soft, feathery quill across his face as he thought for a moment. _P.S. Meet me at the brick wall in the northeast corner tomorrow._

Satisfied with this, Sirius folded the parchment once more, copied where to meet onto two other pieces of parchment, and then dragged Spud out of his cage. "I'm sorry, mate, but this last note's important. One for Remus and one for Peter as well, got it?" He tied the letters to the bird's leg. "Stay with James tonight, he can bring you to the station tomorrow." Sirius mentally acknowledged that this would allow him the last word on their insult war, something very important to him as James usually came out on top in everything they did. Spud glared at him for a moment as if he wanted nothing better than to peck Sirius's eyeballs out, but then he suddenly spread his wings and soared out of the open window without a backwards glance.

Sirius watched the bird disappear through the trees for a moment before he sighed and turned to his bedroom door. Dinner was served in the Black household every night at exactly six-thirty and Sirius had only seconds to make it in time or else sit through another lecture of how worthless he was, not something that he wanted as he had just heard the lecture at breakfast that morning. Again, he didn't _try_ to break the rules, he truly didn't, but it seemed like it just happened when he was around, as if he was somehow cursed to break rules for the rest of his life.

He trampled down the stairs like a madman, leaping over some banisters and sliding down others, sounding like a herd of elephants, and he finally scooted into his chair just as the food began to appear on the table, earning a look of loathing from his mother. She was clearly hoping he would be late so she would have an excuse to scream at him even more. Sirius pleasantly folded his napkin in his lap and acted as if he wasn't aware that he was nearly late. Their house elf, Kreacher, began to serve each of them, saving Sirius for last, of course, but Sirius didn't care.

As the rest of the family usually ignored him when he was around, Sirius slipped off into thought. He and his younger brother, Regulus, had always been brought up to know how horrible Muggles were and why Muggleborns were such a hindrance in the magical world. How unfair the Ministry of Magic was for employing Muggleborns when pureblooded wizards struggled to find work. Late at night, when he was all alone and before he was old enough to attend Hogwarts, Sirius would lie in bed and wonder about the things his parents said. It never seemed to make sense to him; he couldn't see Muggleborns as being as horrible as his parents insisted they were. These doubts became the foundation for his rebellion- the reason he was different from other Blacks. Why he wasn't a Slytherin and why he was a disappointment.

When he went to Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin, the traditional Black house, Sirius's entire world crashed down around him. Up until that moment it had been easy to hide his doubts simply by not voicing them, but once the Sorting Hat placed him, it became painfully obvious that he was not like the other Blacks. That was when it all started- the hatred with which he was treated in his own home, the insults, the ridiculous rules. And it wasn't only at home; even within the school he was rejected by his peers- fellow Slytherins that he had grown up with and known through his parents. It was James who approached him to be friends and that was after initially being rude because Sirius was a Black.

Sirius tried to hide his smile at the thought of his best friend. James in all his mischievous, crazy-haired, bespectacled glory. The start of something wonderful for Sirius, an intimate friendship, a family. James quickly knew everything there was to know about Sirius and he bestowed upon Sirius his own beliefs and thoughts. James yearned after a certain Muggleborn but he never was able to get the feisty girl. He hadn't given up yet, though. It was James who really showed Sirius that Purebloods were no more special than anybody else was; that they weren't immune to falling down or anything of the sort.

"Are you all packed for school tomorrow, dear?" Sirius looked up at the sound of his mother's voice, but she was not addressing him. She spoke to Regulus instead and did not spare even a glance for Sirius, despite the fact that he was also going to school the next day.

"Yes, mum," Regulus mumbled, glancing apologetically at Sirius. At one time, when Sirius was still a welcome addition to the family, Regulus would often sneak into his room late at night and accompany him in his thoughts and doubts of their parents' beliefs. When Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor, he held out hope that Regulus would follow in his footsteps upon his own arrival at Hogwarts, but was disappointed. Regulus became a Slytherin, apparently pleasing their parents more important than standing up for what he believed in. As time went on, Regulus seemed drawn deeper and deeper into the way of the Blacks, and now he and Sirius generally did not get along as they had when they were young children. Regulus became the golden boy, the second chance after the "Sirius-Screw-Up," and Sirius became ignored and not talked to or about.

Despite all of this, Regulus did attempt to not flaunt his status in the family in front of Sirius's face while at home. He knew that Sirius had it hard enough at home without himself rubbing his better treatment in. It was for this reason that Sirius continued to hope that Regulus might one day abandon his current ways. Regulus still seemed to have a good heart, even if he was only out for his own gain. James hated Regulus with a passion, something that bothered Sirius slightly.

"Regulus, speak clearly and sit up straight," Mr. Black advised. Regulus immediately squared his shoulders and Sirius rolled his eyes. His father saw this and growled at Sirius, "I had better not need to remind you, boy, you better stay away from Mudbloods and Muggle lovers. Do you hear me?" Sirius nodded mutely, but rage boiled within him at the dirty words his father used to speak about his friends. "I don't care if you are in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff or what have you, you still have the Black family name to uphold and I expect you not to cause us any more shame than you already have." He waved a piece of steak on his fork as he spoke and then he turned to Regulus. "Regulus, I want to hear it if he's hanging around that Potter freak."

"Yes, sir," Regulus answered, this time in a clear voice and with a straight back, but his eyes once again met Sirius's. Sirius looked away and gripped his fork so hard, he thought he might break it, despite the fact that it was pure silver. His other hand was clenched under the table and he dug his fingernails into his palm to stop himself from lashing out against his father. The one thing Sirius hated more than anything else was when his family insulted James. He didn't mind when he himself was insulted, but James was everything to him. His saviour, his family, his friend. His life. James was the one who defended him, or who put him in his place when he needed it, or who simply sat in silence at his side. James was the best person Sirius knew and he simply couldn't just sit while James was insulted.

Sirius stood abruptly, nearly knocking his chair over behind him. He robotically excused himself from the table and marched upstairs, his expression rigid. This time, he was careful not to slam the door and he desperately reminded himself that this was his last night in the house and in the morning, he'd be back with his friends again, back where he mattered and no more stupid dinners and rules. Extending a hand shaking with suppressed rage and just a hint of stress, he opened his desk drawer once more, this time pulling out a pack of cigarettes. It was a habit he had only recently picked up. Nobody knew about it and he intended to keep it that way. James, in particular, would be disappointed in him. He opened another drawer and grabbed a bundle of saved letters before he strode over to the still open window and sat down on the ledge, dangling one leg outside as he brought the cigarette to his mouth and lit it.

As he thumbed through the letters and photographs sent by his friends, his anger and frustration slowly began to diminish. There was James with Remus, flashing a winning smile and wiggling his eyebrows for the camera. Remus gave the camera a panicked look; James had a death grip on his arm, keeping him from moving out of the frame. And there was Peter with his family smiling cheekily around the dinner table; his mother was ill, but in this picture she looked alright, as if everything was as it should be. And letters, tons and tons of letters. He had saved them all, even the short little notes from James containing little more than a one worded remark, and the longer ones from Remus, the ones where he explained boring scientific theories for Sirius's quirks and corrected Sirius's poor grammar in preceding notes.

Two of the letters from Remus were documenting the outcomes of the recent full moons. Remus was a werewolf and once a month was forced to go into painful transformations. He became a monster. For the past three years, Sirius, James and Peter had been striving to secretly become animagi. From the moment that James had had the revolution that the bite of a werewolf was ineffective on anything other than a human being, they had studied in all of their free time. It was an incredibly difficult thing to accomplish and nobody their age had ever done it, but they were so close that Sirius could smell it. Remus, of course, would never allow them to if he knew of their plans, and it had been hard work keeping it a secret from him.

Sirius stabbed the cigarette into the window ledge until it stopped smoking and then tossed the butt outside. He watched it fall three stories to the earth where it bounced slightly and came to rest beside the half-smoked corpses of others, unseen and hidden by dark shrubs. Then he sighed, brushed his hands off on his trousers and stood, surveying his bedroom in anticipation. He absently brushed the hair off of his forehead and bent to pick up the school robes strewn across the floor. His school books were stacked on his desk and quills and ink bottles littered the room in various areas, the result of his attempt at homework without Remus by his side. He threw everything inside of his trunk and then pulled his wand out of his pocket. He fingered it lovingly, excited to use it again after over two months. Students were not allowed to do magic outside of school. Finally, he sighed and placed that in his trunk as well. He glanced around the room once more to be sure he wasn't forgetting anything. His hand hovered over the pack of cigarettes he had tossed on his bed earlier. Instead of throwing them in his trunk, he tossed them back in his desk drawer. As he would be among what he considered to be his true family soon, he would no longer need them. No, no, on second thought, he pulled one more out of the pack and set it on the window ledge. Just in case he needed it in the morning.

Sirius pulled his robes over his head and let them fall to the ground in a heap. Even at home, he had to wear wizard's robes as his parents always expected him to look presentable. Aside from that, there was no way they would tolerate Muggle clothing in their home. It was still early, but he climbed into bed anyway figuring that the sooner he fell asleep, the sooner the morning would come.

It was several hours later when a soft tapping at his window woke him up. He lifted his head off the pillow and peered blearily through the glass. The stars sparkled merrily at him and the moon, still nearly full though it was waning, shone brightly above. And fluttering about the window was a small snowy owl. Calla.

James had named the owl after the calla lily, a fact known only to himself and Sirius. It was a clever way of naming the bird after the girl that he adored, the Muggleborn, without actually using her name. It hadn't been the owl's original name, but James had changed it to Calla shortly after encountering Lily Evans for the first time. Sirius couldn't even remember what James had originally called the white owl.

He shoved his blankets back and got out of bed. The floor creaked beneath his feet as he pushed open the window. "Oi, Calla," Sirius called. "What are you doing?" Calla hooted softly and flew in to land on Sirius's shoulder. She clamped a letter in her claws and held one foot out to Sirius. He placed her on Spud's cage and gently pried the letter away.

_Sirius, _

Do you think a flobberworm is a step up or step down from parasite?

Always the best of friends,  
J.P.

P.S. Damn you, Sirius. You told Spud to stay here, didn't you? The ruddy owl refused to take this to you so I had to send Calla. Keep her and bring her with tomorrow. I'd think it was getting too late for you, but I know better. Thought you'd get the last word, yes?

By the way, he nearly ripped my ear off. Not so good for my glasses, mate.

James

Sirius grinned, shook his head and folded the letter, opening his trunk once more to add it to his collection. He gave Calla a few of Spud's owl treats and then went back to bed, marvelling that only James would send a responding owl at eleven at night just to get the last word. That was James, though. Annoying.

The house was utter chaos when Sirius awoke the following morning. His cousin, Bellatrix, arrived by Floo. She would be going with them to King's Cross train station as she was starting her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. Sirius lay in bed as long as possible, but had to get up for breakfast, which was served at eight every morning. He and Bellatrix glared at each other from across the table. His parents had conveniently sat her in the seat beside Regulus, apparently afraid that sitting near Sirius might somehow taint her. Mr. Black asked her about her parents, her father being his brother. Sirius's mother hopefully asked her about her older sister, Andromeda. Sirius liked Andromeda, she was always kind to him, the only one in the family aside from Regulus, if what Regulus gave to him was considered kindness. Sympathy, more like, Sirius knew, but it was still better than the way his parents treated him. However, Andromeda had shamed the family by marrying a Muggle and having his child and so she had been disowned and blasted off the family tree. Mrs. Black, though, still held out hope that she would return to her upbringing. Andromeda had been sorted into Slytherin, after all, and thus she was not as hopeless as Sirius was.

As had happened every year, an official Ministry of Magic vehicle arrived at the mansion to pick up the three students and Mrs. Black. Mr. Black was able to secure a car for them every year with ease, given their status in society. Sirius spent the trip to the station miserably being prodded in the ribs by Bellatrix and Regulus while his mother pretended not to notice. He didn't dare lash back in front of her, so he simply set his jaw and stared stubbornly ahead, refusing to react even when Bellatrix gave him a particularly hard jab, though in his head he uttered every curse he could think of.

Before the car had even pulled to a stop in front of King's Cross, Sirius had leaned across Regulus and flung open the door. He trampled his brother on his way out of the car and slammed the door in Regulus's face. Their astonished driver, who had by now gotten out of the car to open the door for them, apologized profusely to Regulus, apparently under the impression that the door had closed on its own. Meanwhile, Sirius had already opened the trunk of the car and yanked his luggage out. He hauled it quickly through the station, not stopping until he reached platforms nine and ten. Glancing around to make sure nobody was watching, Sirius took a deep breath and casually leaned against a brick column in between the platforms.

The last thing he saw was his mother, Bellatrix and Regulus approaching. Regulus looked annoyed and Sirius felt better slightly. And then the wall seemed to close around him and they faded away, they and all of his problems were gone at least until the Christmas holidays. At the same time, the magical platform, platform nine and three quarters, opened up to accept him. It was already crowded and Sirius dragged his trunk quickly, looking around for any sign of James, Remus or Peter.

Several girls called his name and waved or smiled. Absently, Sirius gave his usual cocky half-smile back, but he was more interested in locating his friends. He fought his way to the corner of the platform and was almost convinced that he was the first there when he caught sight of a sandy-haired boy sitting with his back to the wall. A book was open across the boy's lap, but he wasn't reading. Instead, an amused expression fluttered across his face as his eyes following something back and forth within the crowd.

"Alright, Remus?" Sirius called as he approached. He dropped his trunk in astonishment as he drew near enough to actually see Remus's face. "You…" he started, but then thought better of it and said nothing at all.

His friend looked paler than usual and dark circles huddled beneath his eyes and all of it made the scars on his face stand out rather brilliantly, Sirius couldn't help but notice. Remus regarded Sirius almost guiltily and his lips drew back into a tight, crooked smile, a smile that warmed Sirius from the inside out and allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief at finally being away from his family. It also told Sirius that perhaps Remus didn't feel as bad as he looked, and though Sirius didn't voice it, that was a good thing because Remus more or less looked like death.

"It's very noticeable, isn't it?" Remus asked. He absently ran a finger over one of the scars on his face and his eyes went back to lazily moving about the crowd. "Bugger. I look like… like a corpse. Do I?" Remus bit his lip as he waited for Sirius's response, his chocolate eyes darting away from the crowd and coming to rest on Sirius's grey ones.

"Do you?" Sirius asked, taken by surprise.

Sirius's avoidance of the question seemed to confirm Remus's fears and he groaned slightly, holding his head in one hand. "And I've eaten all of my train chocolate, too," he murmured miserably, looking forlorn and pathetic enough for Sirius to pat his pockets in search of a bit of chocolate. Not that he ever carried chocolate around with him, but he half hoped that a piece would magically appear in his cloak.

"I think James might have some, maybe, or Peter, perhaps," he offered finally, but this didn't seem to improve Remus's mood. Remus's eyes continued to float back and forth across the crowd and Sirius was beginning to feel as if he were missing out on some big show. He turned and surveyed the mass of students, searching for what Remus saw.

"Might have what?"

It was James. Sirius looked up and grinned at the sound of the voice just in time to see one of James's bags hurling towards him. He caught it just in time, but it still knocked the breath out of him and he uttered an "Umph!" in protest.

"Alright, Moony?" James used Remus's nickname, one that he had earned because of his werewolf condition. He glanced at Remus, squatted to click his tongue at Calla, as Sirius had brought her along with him, and then did a double-take, gazing at Remus again..

"Fine. Good." Remus blushed under James's sudden scrutiny, and when James didn't look away, he muttered, "Ate all my chocolate," and then his blush deepened.

James laughed and ruffled Remus's sandy hair; Sirius grinned and basked in the warm sound of it, he hadn't heard the glorious noise since the previous school year. James's laughter practically sang that everything was good; it was a wonderful thing. And then it was gone and Sirius met his eye, his own smile fading.

"What about you, you tit? Alright?" James asked, and he grinned as he spoke but Sirius could see sincerity and concern in his hazel eyes.

"Alright," Sirius agreed. And he was.

James clapped him on the shoulder and peered at the crowd, using his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "What were you lot staring at?" he asked. Sirius glanced at Remus for the answer as he hadn't figured it out yet.

Remus snorted and nodded off to the right. "He's been at it for the last fifteen minutes or so," he remarked casually.

Sirius's eyes searched in the direction Remus and indicated, and there, he saw it. Peter. The last of them, his third friend. While the other three were tall and slim, and even, in Remus's case, gangly, Peter was shorter and slightly thicker. But Peter had a ton of personality; he was the jokester of the group and usually the first to pull a prank. Additionally, everyone seemed to like him because he was incredibly friendly. He wasn't afraid to laugh at himself. Today, though, Peter wandered the crowd aimlessly, obviously searching for them and not seeing them at all..

"About thirty tree times," Remus remarked. "That he's passed by, I mean."

James snorted and nudged Sirius with his elbow, grinning. "Hopeless, innit?" Sirius nodded and made a mumbled blab of agreement, a noise that didn't really sound like much of anything, but James didn't pay attention. He cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, "Oi! Peter!" and then Peter froze suddenly, as if he had heard the voice but didn't want to look like he'd heard it in case he hadn't really and it was all in his head. He gave a cautious glance around and James responded with a very obvious two-armed-high-above-the-head wave, which worked because Peter cracked a smile and hurried over.

"What took you lot so long, I've been here forever waiting," he declared as he dropped his trunk and wiped sweat from his brow.

"Bull, we've been here," Sirius insisted. "I told you to meet us here. You've been wandering that crowd for the last fifteen minutes, mate."

Peter blushed, both from being caught in the lie and from being watched as he wandered around lost. After a brief pause in which he seemed to struggle with whether or not to be angry, he demanded, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"No hard feelings mate. But you were putting on a good show!" Sirius grinned and flinched away from the swift kick that Peter aimed for his leg. "Mate, no need to get violent, you know?" he laughed and James joined in.

"Do you know, I saw you there the whole time!" Peter declared in an attempt at redeeming himself. "It wasn't that I was wandering looking for you, rather, I was wandering looking for somebody else I could sit with instead."

"Yeah, yeah," James muttered, pulling Peter into a headlock. "You're nearly as utterly hopeless as Remus, mate. And that's saying something, because Moony is hopelessly beyond hopeless."

"Indeed," Remus agreed with a nod of his head and a raised eyebrow.

Peter struggled against James's grip, but finally emerged grinning. "Well. At any rate, they're boarding the train now if we want to get a good compartment."

"No rush, we can just haul some firstie out like we do every year," James said airily, but he stood and picked up his trunk anyway.

Sirius and Remus stood also. "Yeah, unless they fling their books at you like Moony here does, you mean."

"Shut up, Sirius. That was an accident!"

Sirius's smile spread across his face. _This_ was where he belonged. Life was once again as it should be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Always the Best of Friends**

**Chapter 2**

Sirius breathed in deeply as they fought the rest of the crowd towards the train. He loved the smell of the Hogwarts Express. It smelled of wonderful things such as fun and excitement, nervousness and anticipation. Mostly, it smelled like magic and pumpkin juice and maybe a little bit of sweat. As he dragged his trunk to the train, he nonchalantly swung it out to the side, nearly hitting the fourth year that was trying to weave in front of the boys. "Arse," he muttered in annoyance when the boy jumped back and stared at Sirius in dismay.

James laughed and flung his arm around Sirius's shoulder. "Oi! Get in line or we'll sic our owl on you!" he shouted to the boy, more to draw attention to himself than to really threaten the other student. "And I'm not joking one bit, either. He's a vicious beast, look what he did to me!" With that James tapped his ear, which appeared to be slightly swollen and crusted with dried blood. The fourth year grimaced and backed away, falling into place somewhere behind them.

"Merlin," Sirius grimaced when he noticed the damage to his friend's ear. "I'm sorry, mate, he's been in a mood lately."

James shrugged and allowed his arm to fall from Sirius's shoulders. Instead he shoved Sirius roughly in the back, making him trip up the stairs of one of the train's cars. "You need to train that monster," he advised good-naturedly.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Remus interrupted from behind in a moment of daring. It was rare for Remus to tease the other three simply because he seemed to lack the wit to do so effectively. "James, have you been beat up by a small owl?"

Scowling, but in a good mood all the same, James turned and glared at Remus. "_No_, Moony, if you _must_ know, the beast is absolutely bloody rabid." And he had a point, too. Most owls didn't attack people, at least not witches and wizards.

Remus and Peter laughed and teased James and James ignored them, allowing them to carry on behind his back as he boarded the train. Sirius led them down the train's narrow corridor, glancing in windows for an empty compartment. When at long last he spotted one, two second year girls saw it at the same time and hurried forward.

"Don't even _think_ about it," Sirius threatened, aiming his trunk at them and preparing to use it if necessary. The girls took one look at him, blushed, and turned and made a hasty retreat. Mildly surprised that the threat had actually worked with such ease, Sirius glanced at James as if looking for congratulations.

"Nice," was all James said. He slid the compartment door open and looked around before dragging his trunk in. He hauled his luggage into the overhead storage area and then took Peter's as well because Peter wasn't tall enough to reach on his own. Sirius and Remus followed and stored theirs as well. James let Calla out of her cage and Sirius bent to do the same with Spud.

James inadvertently shrank away from the charcoal bird as it fluttered up to join Calla on a small ledge near the ceiling.

Sirius rolled his eyes and glanced out the window. "Evans," he alerted James when he saw Lily hugging her parents goodbye.

James practically knocked Peter off of his feet in his flying leap towards the window. He stared out with his nose pressed to the glass, spectacles askew. "I'm going to marry that girl," he sighed, sounding almost disappointed as if he was still trying to convince himself of the fact. After all, everyone knew that Lily Evans hated James Potter's guts. James's black mess of hair sank slightly, appearing almost tame, but still as fantastic as ever.

Sirius peered out at Lily as well. She was accompanied by what Sirius assumed was her sister. It was the same girl he had seen on the platform with Lily every year and she always wore the same expression on her face - one of hatred and disgust. If they weren't standing together, nobody would ever know she was related to cheerful, witty Lily Evans. Lily's parents waved proudly as she boarded the train and after a moment, Sirius could no longer see her.

Peter had been kneeling on the bench beside Remus and watching Lily out the window as well. "You'll marry her alright, but you have to get her to like you first," he joked, nudging James.

James made a face at Peter mostly because Peter had voiced what he already knew, but he took the bait and responded with his usual sarcasm anyway. "Who _doesn't_ like me?" he asked in an incredulous tone, and he had a point because nearly everyone did in fact like him. He struggled to find his reflection in the window, but once he did, he confidently ruffled his own hair. He checked the effect while Sirius, Remus, and Peter rolled their eyes and sighed loudly. Then James jumped out of his seat, slid open the door to the compartment and leaned out, lips puckered, just in time for Lily Evans to pass by. She stopped and raised her eyebrows, amused.

"In your dreams, Potter," she told him and continued walking without a backwards glance. James's eyes followed her to a compartment towards the front of the train, lips still puckered hopefully.

Disappointment flashed across his face when he saw which compartment she disappeared into. "Prefect?" he groaned. "She's a Prefect?" He knew his prank playing days were over if he ever wanted to have a chance with Lily.

"Oh, bugger, I forgot!" Remus blurted. He pulled his trunk down and rummaged in it wildly before emerging with his school robes. He pulled them over his head as the other three boys sat in silence, watching as if some demon had possessed him. As he adjusted the robes and dashed out of the compartment, James saw a glint of gold on Remus's chest.

"Him too?" he groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Sirius shrugged, surprised that Dumbledore had chosen Remus as Prefect, especially knowing his condition. But then he realized that the choice for a Gryffindor boy was either Remus or the rest of them and it was obvious that Remus was best suited for the job. He wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore was even hoping Remus would be able to exercise some control over them. "Honestly, mate, are you surprised?" Sirius laughed. "It was him or us, and, well… really, who would _you_ choose?"

James sat down and sighed, staring darkly out the window as the train began to move. "Traitor," he muttered, casting dirty looks toward the seat the Remus had occupied moments before. Then he suddenly perked up. "Hey, I almost forgot," he said, standing and pulling something out of his pocket. It was a small, flat package wrapped in an old issue of The Daily Prophet. James tore open the paper and let it float to the ground as he triumphantly held up two small, grubby looking mirrors. "Check this out," he said, tossing one to Sirius.

"Wow. A mirror." Sirius turned the mirror over in his hands, but saw nothing spectacular about it. Rather, it seemed like nothing more than a plain old mirror. He passed it to Peter, who examined it with a perplexed expression on his face.

"Not just any mirror, Sirius," James corrected, finger in the air in a philosophical gesture. "These were my dad's. I found then in our attic and he said I could keep them if I didn't use them to cause trouble. Before the Floo Network came about, people used these mirrors to communicate with each other. Back in the old days. See?" James held his mirror up to his face and said, "Sirius Black."

His name echoed from the mirror in Peter's hands. "Give me that," Sirius snapped, snatching the mirror back again. He looked into it, but rather than his own reflection staring back, James's face was smiling at him. "Bloody hell," Sirius grinned.

"Chatting through the Floo Network is much more useful and practical, so they quit using the mirrors," James said knowledgably. He resembled Albert Einstein, Sirius thought; hair wild but clever as anything. "Floo lets you talk to more than one person at a time, you know? And the added traveling benefits make these mirrors pretty much history. Not to mention how fragile they are. There aren't many left, most have been accidentally broken. But I thought these would be perfect for detentions. Er… assuming we _get_ detentions this year."

"Not making any promises, are you?" Peter asked, grinning.

James shrugged and was about to respond when Sirius interrupted. "Do I just talk into it to say something back?" he asked, looking self-conscious. He hoped nobody would walk past their compartment and see him talking to what looked like his own reflection in a mirror.

"That's right. Here, you keep that one, mate."

Sirius glanced into the mirror again, but James's face had disappeared and it was now his own staring back at him. He slid the mirror into his pocket and looked up at James. "Hang on," he said, watching James with suspicion etched upon his face. "Your dad actually trusted that you wouldn't use these for trouble?"

James pursed his lips and his eyebrows shot upwards as if he was holding in a big secret. "He may or may not have," he replied mysteriously before quickly changing the subject. "So, want to play?"

"Definitely," Peter grinned wickedly at his mates and wiped his palms on his shirt.

James stood and slid open the compartment door and the three wandered down the corridor. They stopped first at a compartment filled with the Gryffindor fifth year girls. "Ladies," James greeted, sliding their door open and leaning against it casually.

"Potter," Maci Burrows greeted him skeptically. "And Black," she added when Sirius appeared behind James. "Peter! How are you? Lily's not here, by the way," she told James. She didn't bother to hide her suspicious studying of the three. They were always up to no good, after all.

James scowled. "Calm down, Burrows, we just wanted to say hi. It's been months and all that."

At that moment, Severus Snape slunk down the corridor behind them. Sirius casually, without even looking away from the girls, slipped his leg behind him just as Snape was walking past. Snape let out gasp of surprise as he tripped and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

The Gryffindor girls looked around for the sound of the noise, having not seen what happened through the mess of James's, Peter's and Sirius's legs in the doorway. They clapped their hands over their mouths and attempted to hold back their giggles when they saw the mound of black robes on the floor behind the boys.

"Well," Sirius addressed James smoothly as if nothing had happened. "Let's move on, James, we are obviously not welcome here. Peter?" James obediently closed the compartment door and they continued down the corridor, not sparing a backwards glance for Snape still sprawled on the floor.

The next compartment they stopped at contained two members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team for which James played Chaser. Frank Longbottom, a burly seventh year, was sprawled across the bench on one side of the compartment. Best friends Alice Campbell, also a seventh year, and Callie Coogan, a sixth year, sat together on the other bench sharing pictures from the summer holidays. Both Frank and Callie were on the team and Alice was Frank's girlfriend of two years now.

"Hey boys," Callie greeted them brightly when James opened the door. Callie Coogan had always been friends with James. She was athletic and outgoing, not into make up and fashion like a lot of females were.

"Hey Frank, last year, huh?" James asked, grinning. "Coogan, Campbell," he nodded to the girls.

"It is, yes," Frank smiled. "Finally."

"Ready for your N.E.W.T.s?" Sirius asked, even though he knew Frank was dreading them.

"Oh Merlin, don't remind me," Frank grumbled, twirling his wand absently.

After visiting for a few minutes, the three boys returned to the corridor once more. They all exchanged glances as if trying to figure out what to do next. They were considering bombarding the Prefects' compartment to bother Remus, but James didn't want to make things worse with Lily.

"You know," Sirius suggested after a moment, "we could pay a visit to my dear cousin."

"Good thinking, mate, I'm sure she missed me something horrid over the holidays," James piped.

They found Bellatrix in a compartment at the very end of the train. She was dutifully snogging her boyfriend, Rodolphus Lestrange when James slid the door open. "_There_ you are!" he announced, grinning at Bellatrix. "I've been looking all over for you!" He glanced at Rodolphus. "Take a hike, Rudolph, that's _my_ girl you're snogging."

Peter burst into fits of laughter as Bellatrix stood up and pulled her wand out. "You better get your dirtball friend under control, traitor," she growled to Sirius, "before _I_ do." Behind her, Rodolphus had stood and taken his wand out as well.

Peter made a hasty retreat down the hall as Sirius gripped James's upper arm and dragged him away. He slammed the door in Bellatrix's face and grinned at James. "What the bloody hell was that? It was brilliant. You're aware that she's going to kill you now?"

James laughed and the two shoved each other down the corridor. "No worries, mate, we have Spud, remember?" It was a completely stupid thing to say and they both knew it, but boredom and silliness from the long train ride was setting in. They both laughed anyway and slid open the door to their own compartment. Their laughter stopped suddenly when they came face to face with Remus, who glared at them with his hands on his hips.

"Barely even out of London and you're already starting on Snape, huh?" he demanded, eyebrows furrowed threateningly.

"Relax, Moony, Snivellus isn't any worse for the wear," James stepped around Remus, completely unfazed by his friend's offensive stance, and collapsed on the bench, sprawling out luxuriously.

Remus turned and stared at James, shaking his head. "You might _try_ being nicer to him. I mean, I sat next to Lily and you know she hates how you torture him."

"Yeah?" James interrupted jealously. He looked down and pressed his chin to his chest in defiance, heaving a sigh. Remus had obviously only injected the 'I sat next to Lily' to get to him because there was no other reason to say it. Remus was like that, though, casually working little hints in to enhance his points.

"Yeah and you know what?" Remus continued, ignoring James's begrudging attitude. "She says she'd rather snog the giant squid than you." Remus bit his lip as a pained look crossed James's face and then plowed on, as if suddenly realizing he had said too much. "Well, don't take it personally and all, you know? I think she really does like you deep down, James, really, really deep down, I swear she does. She's got to, I mean, what's not to like, right?"

"Alright, stop your blubbering," James said, forcing a smile. Remus grinned back and his shoulders slumped as he visibly relaxed.

"Are we there yet?" Sirius asked under his breath quietly, partly to change the subject and partly just to see if anybody would hear him. And, admittedly, partly to be annoying because he was bored.

"Shut up, Sirius."

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing exploding snap and loading up on sweets when the trolley came by. Remus would occasionally leave to patrol the corridors for a bit. Whenever Lily walked past, James would straighten hopefully and run his hands through his hair, but she refused to even look inside of their compartment.

It was dark by the time they got to Hogsmeade station. "I've got to go supervise people getting into carriages and all that," Remus informed them, pulling on his cloak. "Somebody get my junk, okay?"

Sirius dragged both their trunks out of the train and was disgusted to see that it was pouring outside. Thunder boomed loudly and lightning cracked dangerously nearby. The boys were soaked within minutes and none of them said a word as they hurried to an empty carriage. Once they were inside, Peter pulled the door closed and the carriage began to move towards the school on its own, falling into line with the other carriages.

Sirius propped his feet on the pile of trunks in front of him and James took his glasses off and dried them on his shirt. When he put his glasses back on, he glanced at Peter and Sirius, but didn't say a word as he was content to simply sit silently in their company and listen to the rain drum on the roof. They reached the castle and hastily dragged the trunks into the Entrance Hall. Sirius took a moment to stare around appreciatively, having just survived another summer holiday from hell in the House of Black, before James prodded him forward. Soaking wet, they moved into the Great Hall and sat down for the welcoming feast.

"Poor Moony," Peter commented, watching the soggy wet students drag themselves into the hall. "He's still out there making sure everyone gets in."

"Right," Sirius agreed. "And he's still a bit ill as well."

James wiped away a trail of water that ran down the side of his face and glanced up at the staff table. His wet hair drooped miserably and the light was reflected on his damp face. "He'll be okay," he told his friends reassuringly.

As if to prove him right, Remus walked into the Great Hall at that moment. His hair was plastered to his forehead and his robes hung limply off of his thin frame. Lily followed him to the Gryffindor table. She looked slightly better than Remus and a lot less wet. Sirius knew that she had probably thought to bring an umbrella. She sat down with the fifth year girls as Remus slid in beside Peter.

"Merlin, it's nasty out there," he grumbled. "It's raining so hard, the first year boats were flooding." With that, he lifted his cloth napkin and used it to wipe the water off of his face.

The Great Hall suddenly quieted and the boys looked around to see why. They spotted their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, standing at the front of the Hall waiting for everyone's attention. When the room was completely silent, the old man spoke.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, First Years. To everyone else, welcome back! Please remember that visits to the Forbidden Forest are not allowed. The use of magic in the corridors is also against the rules. I'd like to introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dudzik."

As Dumbledore continued to talk, Sirius peered down the staff table and noticed the new professor. He looked very young and slightly out of place. Sirius raised an eyebrow, knowing the man wouldn't last. No teacher had ever held the position longer than a year.

"And now to move to more pressing matters," Dumbledore continued. "You are all aware that a Dark wizard called Voldemort is on the rise. I urge you to exercise caution in all that you do, particularly your visits to Hogsmeade, Third Years and above."

Voldemort, the dark wizard who had begun terrorizing the world just a few months before Sirius began his first year at Hogwarts, was becoming a severe threat and getting more and more powerful as time went past. Sirius glanced at the Slytherin table and noticed Bellatrix staring at Dumbledore intently. Sirius knew that his entire family, Bellatrix included, admired Voldemort for the actions that he had taken against Muggle-borns and half-bloods. He met Regulus' gaze and looked away. Dumbledore, meanwhile, made note of the schedules and meeting dates for the school's clubs and Quidditch teams and then with another grand sweep of his arms, the feast appeared on the tables before them. With a loud gasp of pleasure, the entire school began to help themselves.

"You know, my mum won't even let me walk to the corner store because of that bloke Voldemort," Peter slurped through a spoonful of soup.

"A good thing, too," James told him. "It's dangerous times. My dad's been having to deal with a lot of the murders and things going on. It's a lot worse than the Daily Prophet is letting on." James's father was a well established Auror for the Ministry of Magic.

Sirius didn't say anything, instead keeping his eyes on his plate. Though he did not agree with or support Voldemort, he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty as his entire family practically worshipped the ground Voldemort walked on.

James seemed to notice Sirius's sudden silence and, glancing at quickly at his friend, changed the subject. "So, Pete, how's your mum doing anyway?" Peter's mother had been ill for quite a long while. Peter launched into an explanation and Sirius spent the rest of the meal in silence.

It wasn't long before Remus took his last drink of pumpkin juice from his crystal goblet and then stood up. "I've got to go help Lily get the first years to the common room," he said. "The password's _chocolate frog_ if you want to head off the crowd on the stairs." With that, he hurried away to join Lily and the first years queuing near the doors.

James watched him go with a look of mild jealousy, but the expression quickly vanished as Sirius slung his arm around James's shoulders. James grinned at him, momentarily distracted.

"Merlin," Sirius groaned. "I ate too much. Carry me."

Laughing, James shoved him away. "To hell with that. You'll be okay. Come on, let's beat the first years, they've already got a head start."

The rest of the evening was spent lounging around the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. The first years had all retired to their dormitories right away, likely feeling too out of place to socialize with the older students yet. James attempted to sit beside Lily by squeezing between her and her friend, Amber Cadwell. A look of repulsion crossed Lily's delicate features before she got up and moved to the other end of the room. Sirius flopped down where she had been sitting.

Eventually, the common room cleared as it got late. Peter retired to bed early, as he lived far from London and had to get up very early that morning to make it to the station on time. Remus stayed long enough to make sure that the majority of the students went off to bed without causing trouble and then he too headed up the dormitory stairs.

It wasn't long before Sirius, James and Lily were the only three left in the common room. Lily eyed them suspiciously and they stared politely back, waiting for her to say something. She seemed to resist for a long while simply because she knew they were waiting, but eventually she couldn't take it anymore and she glanced at her watch.

"Why aren't you going to bed, Potter?" she finally snapped.

"Why aren't _you_ going to bed, Evans?" James grinned devilishly. "Do you want me to come tuck you in?"

Lily's face went slack and for a moment Sirius thought she might be ill at the thought.

"Why _are_ we still here, anyway?" he wondered aloud, yawning and standing up.

James reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him back down. "Stay. We need to talk." Sirius grimaced and James laughed. "Relax, it's just a talk, Sirius." Sirius slumped back onto the couch and glared at Lily.

She sighed. "You aren't going to do anything wrong or illegal, are you? If you do, I'll take points from Gryffindor."

James feigned innocence. "Come on," he argued. She shrugged and left, climbing the stairs to the girls' dormitories. James turned and studied Sirius, who smiled back politely just as he had done with Lily, waiting for whatever he had to say.

At long last, James heaved a sigh and said in a low voice, "You really smell, Sirius."

"Er… I hate you."

James threw his head back and let out a chuckle. "Like cigarettes, I mean. You smell like cigarettes."

"Really?" Sirius cast around for an excuse but he knew James would be able to tell he was lying, James always could. He opened his mouth to confess, but thought better and closed it again, waiting for James's response.

"Are you smoking, Sirius?"

"Er…"

"Why?" James asked, and Sirius thought he saw a flash of sadness in his hazel eyes.

Sirius twiddled his thumbs and stared stubbornly into the fire, feeling horribly guilty. "Dunno." He shifted uncomfortably. "I guess I just needed….something. Don't worry, I only did it at home, I don't need it when I'm here. I didn't even pack them with me, I left them at home. James, is this really what you wanted to talk about?"

Well," James sighed, folding his hands behind his head and leaning comfortably back against the couch. "No, it's not. But I want you to know that you can always come stay with me for a bit when things get really bad at your house. And I don't care what your parents say, either. If they want to stop you, they have to get through _me_ first, I'm not afraid of them. Anyway, I know I'm unbearable, Sirius, but I've got to be better than cigarettes of all things. Cigarettes kill people."

"Yeah, you're right," Sirius lamented easily, glad that James didn't put up a big fuss. He then swiftly changed the subject. "What else did you want to tell me?"

James glanced around the common room to make sure that nobody else was around to overhear. Then he leaned in close to Sirius and revealed, "I did it!"

"Er…really?"

"Yes!" James was obviously excited and Sirius could tell this was news he had been wanting to share all day.

"Sorry, but what did you do?" he asked, feeling stupid.

James groaned in frustration, leaned over and rapped his knuckles against Sirius's temple, knocking. "Sirius, where are you? _It_. I did it. I became an Animagus. I got it over the holidays."

Sirius's mouth dropped open and he jumped forward, gripping James by the shoulders and giving him a slight shake. "You what? Y-you did? Why didn't you tell me? How'd you do it? And what are you?"

James laughed and gripped Sirius's arms, trying to stop him from shaking. "I'll show you how. I wanted to tell you all day, Sirius, I wanted to so bad, but I couldn't get you alone and you know I can't reveal that in post, being unregistered and all. We'll tell Peter tomorrow. And I'm a stag, a damn big one, too."

Sirius sat back against the couch and stared at the ceiling, rubbing his hands over his face. "Wow," he finally said. James nodded, still grinning. "That's…this…" Sirius sputtered. And then a wave of doubt began to wash over him. "This is really dumb, James, really, really dumb. And dangerous. You're a deer? Remus will shred you!"

James sighed. "Mate, calm down. It's okay and…well, yeah it's a little stupid and dangerous, but that's the fun of it, isn't it? And I'm not a deer, deers are wimpy. It will be fine, trust me."

"Yeah?" Sirius chewed his lip skeptically as he glanced askance at James. "Well, we'd just better hope I become a bear or something."

James laughed and flung his arm around Sirius's neck, pulling him close and grinding the knuckles of his other hand into the top of Sirius's head.

"Ow, ow, James, damn it, you arse!" Sirius whimpered, his voice muffled as he tried to free himself.

James stood up with Sirius still in the headlock. "Ah, Sirius, it's so good to see you again. Let's go to bed," he declared, and he walked towards the staircase dragging a still struggling Sirius with him.


End file.
